II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5186 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish criminal penalties for 

gratuities given to State and local public officials. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. 

WELCH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish criminal 

penalties for gratuities given to State and local public 

officials. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Corrupt Gratu5 ities Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON GRATUITIES GIVEN TO STATE 

7 AND LOCAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 666 of title 18, United 

9 States Code, is amended— 


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•S 5186 IS

1 (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding 

2 paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘(b)’’ and inserting ‘‘(c)’’; 

3 (2) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and 

4 (d) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; 

5 (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(b) GRATUITIES.—Whoever, if the circumstance de8 scribed in subsection (c) of this section exists, otherwise 

9 than as provided by law for the proper discharge of official 

10 duty— 

11 ‘‘(1) being an agent of an organization, or of a 

12 State, local, or Indian tribal government, or any 

13 agency thereof, solicits or demands for the benefit of 

14 any person, or accepts or agrees to accept, anything 

15 of value from any person, intending to be rewarded 

16 in connection with any business, transaction, or se17 ries of transactions of such organization, govern18 ment, or agency involving anything of value of 

19 $5,000 or more; or 

20 ‘‘(2) gives, offers, or agrees to give, anything of 

21 value to any person, with intent to reward an agent 

22 of an organization or of a State, local or Indian trib23 al government, or any agency thereof, in connection 

24 with any business, transaction, or series of transVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:03 Oct 09, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5186.IS S5186

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1 actions of such organization, government, or agency 

2 involving anything of value of $5,000 or more; 

3 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 

4 2 years, or both.’’; and 

5 (4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by 

6 striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections 

7 (a) and (b)’’. 

8 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

9 (1) HEADINGS.—Section 666 of title 18, United 

10 States Code, is amended— 

11 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

12 ‘‘Theft or bribery’’ and inserting ‘‘Theft, 

13 bribery, or gratuities’’; 

14 (B) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Who15 ever’’ and inserting ‘‘BRIBES.—Whoever’’; 

16 (C) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, 

17 by striking ‘‘The’’ and inserting ‘‘COVERED

18 CIRCUMSTANCE.—The’’; 

19 (D) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, 

20 by striking ‘‘This’’ and inserting ‘‘EXCEPTION

21 FOR SALARY, WAGES, AND FEES.—This’’; and 

22 (E) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, 

23 by striking ‘‘As’’ and inserting ‘‘DEFINI24 TIONS.—As’’. 


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1 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 

2 for chapter 31 of title 18, United States Code, is 

3 amended by striking the item relating to section 666 

4 and inserting the following: 

‘‘666. Theft, bribery, or gratuities concerning programs receiving Federal 

funds.’’. 

Æ 


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